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Tips to Surviving a Car Accident in Thailand

Car accidents are among the most devastating form of personal injury you can experience. Not only accidents involving car, but also bicycles, motorcycles, trucks or even boats can result in severe injuries and, all too often, death.

Most car accident victims report that it was not their fault. Irresponsible driving is the main cause of car accidents all over the world. It is the responsibility of the driver to obey the road safety rules, which they frequently forget, or more often ignore, especially when intoxicated with alcohol or drugs. As a result, innocent people often suffer and their lifestyles are compromised.

Car accidents may occur when a car collides with another vehicle – another car or a truck. On the other hand, when a car knocks down a pedestrian, it is also reported as a car or road accident. In both cases, either or both parties can be injured and both parties likewise share a degree of responsibility.

To determine which party is responsible for the accident, the case is taken to court so that the judge can deliver an impartial verdict. One party is held responsible for the mishap, generally, and is directed to compensate the other for all the damages incurred.

In Thailand, especially in Pattaya, you have to deal with the police, which, to some degree, is often the most important part of the proceedings. However, many tourists have had the misfortune to encounter corrupt police, which frequently results in their being ripped off, both by the police and their disputants; consequently, they end up paying a great deal of money.

Damages can be physical, mental, monetary and damage to property. The victim’s vehicle may be seriously damaged, requiring repair. The victims frequently suffer severe injuries, a job loss or reduced income. Injured persons need medical care, which can be exorbitantly expensive! The compromised lifestyle might be stressful and cause severe depression; so the victims also suffer from mental stress and trauma. All these damages are calculated in terms of money and the offender is asked to pay the costs. This is an attempt to help the victims return to their normal lifestyle.

As is common all over the world, unscrupulous individuals, especially Thais, sometimes pretend to have suffered a serious injury when, in fact, their injuries were slight and they attempt to extract vast sums in compensation, occasionally with the active collaboration of corrupt police officers, sad to say. There have also been many cases where devious renters of both cars and motor cycles have actually arranged to have the rented vehicle stolen and then demanded the full compensation from unwary tourists, who just so happened not to have had any insurance and are seen as easy targets.

Hence, when a car accident occurs, or a situation similar to the one just recounted, no matter how severe, there are still ways to mitigate its effects. To make full use of your rights, consult a car accident attorney to get your grievance filed in court legally, as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, we don’t really have any attorneys in Pattaya that specialize in car accidents, our attorneys tend to be in charge of general cases and, once again, sad to say, the majority of them seem only too keen to look for opportunities to make money from those involved in accidents.

Here is a list of suggestions that might help you win a car accident case. Take a good look.

Take one prompt decision:

Judge the injuries of the victims. If they have severe injuries and are bleeding excessively, then make necessary arrangements to take them to a local hospital. In case you have been injured and no one else is there to take care of you, decide whether you need medical care first or if you can wait for police at the spot. Then follow the following steps, in sequence:

1. Call the rescue team BEFORE the police
2. Call your best friend, friends who can communicate in Thai, or a good Thai friend
3. Call your insurance company
4. THEN, and ONLY then, call the police!

File police reports as early as possible:
If you can wait for the police to reach the accident spot, then take no action. Let the police inspect the accident location and note the details. Otherwise, go to the local police station, as soon as possible and report the accident; not to do so is an offence! Tell them how bad the conditions of the victims were. If they were severe and you could move them without further injury, take them to hospital, but this is often not a good idea as many injuries are not immediately apparent, being internal.

Take some photos:
If possible take some snaps of the damaged cars, injured persons and the surroundings. These photographs can be supporting evidence for you. If you are filing a car accident compensation claims in Pattaya.

Collect contact details of witnesses (VERY IMPORTANT):
Obtain contact details of the persons present at the location of accident, if you are fortunate enough to have had witnesses. Do not forget to get the contact information of the other cars involved in the accident as well. At least, note down the car numbers if nothing else is possible.

Contact your insurance company:
To drive uninsured in Thailand is very easy, but can and often does cost offenders an arm and a leg (metaphorically, as well as literally)! By far the best advice is to take out insurance, even if it is only Third Party. Then you can let the insurance company take some of the weight off your shoulders.

See a lawyer:
Consult a lawyer as soon as possible. A lawyer can guide you on how to proceed with your claim. Consult “no-win, no-fee lawyers“, if possible and get justly compensated without paying the attorney fees.

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